Apparatus for filling and sealing containers



C. W. VOGT Dec; 30, 1941.

APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND SEALING CONTAINERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 OriginalFiled Feb. 27, 1936 0 RMJ WU 0 E T. N m m Dec. 30, 1941. w, V T2,267,880

APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND SEALING CONTAINERS Original Filed Feb. 27,19364 Sheets-Shet 2 C RAISES C, 48

IN VE N TO R (70/ 07100 ll T I/byl ATTORNEYS Dec. 30, 1941. c. VO T2,267,880

APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND SEALING CONTAINERS Original Filed Feb. 27,1936 4 Shets-Sheet 3 INVENTQR 'zrerwe ll." M 2 BY ATTORNEY$ Dec. 30,1941. w VQGT APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND SEALING CONTAINERS Original FiledFeb. 27, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR larezzce 71 M 1? 1 M ATTORNEYSNA/v. C

- opening -therebetween.

lined or is made of impervious thermoplastic Patented Dec. 30, 1941NTAINERS arrana'rus F86! FILLING AND SEALING.

Clarence W. Vogt, Norwalk, Conn. I

Original application February 27, 1936, Serial No.

Divided and this application February 23, 1939, Serial No.257,925

. (Cl. 226-51) This application -is a division of my co-pending 9delivery spout, said filling and sealing apparatus 20 Claims.

application on which was granted Patent No. 2,169,573 on August'15,1939, and relates to a machine for filling and sealing containers, andmore particularly to that type in which a series of containersafterbeing filled are transferred to and passed in succession through asealing apparatus.

In a preferred form, my improved apparatus is designed for use inconnection with containers of a type, in which a predetermined ormeasured quantity of a liquid orother fiowable materialis delivered intoa fiatcollapsed bag or other container, to expand and substantially fill,the

latter. The bag preferably has a pair of superposed wall sections, whichmaybe bowed apart to form a filling opening, and which may be sealedtogether by heat and pressure after with drawal of the filling nozzle. Acontainer of that general type is disclosed and claimed in my Patent No.2,171,717, issued September 5,1939, in which the material to be packagedis retained in a thin flexible walled bag disposed in a carton.

The bag there shown has a flap or pleat comprising a pair of plies orwalls which are normally disposed in closely juxtaposed parallelpositions, and which maybe spread apart to form a filling The bag isdesirably material such as Pliofilm, capable of being heat sealedwithout the necessity of using adhesive or a separate closure member.

v One object of the invention is to provide meansfor sealing togetherthe walls defining the filling opening after the predetermined volume ofmaterial has been delivered, saidsealing means a being operated by andtimed with the mechanism for effecting the measuring .and dischargingoperations.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for sealing togetherthe walls defining the opening of the container of the general typeabove referred to, while said container is -in transit Another object isto provide means for sealingof the invention will be apparent from thefollowing particular description, and from an 'in-' spection of theaccompanying drawings, in

- which: I

Fig.1 is an' enlarged vertical section, showing a container infillingposition with respect to the -measuring chamber,

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2-2 of Fig.1, v v

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the combined filling and sealing apparatus,portions being broken away at different planes,

Fig. 4 is a vertical section takenon line 4-4 of Fig.3,

container as itis'brought into registry with the measuring chamber, andtakenon line 5-5 of Fig. 61s a detail taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, andshowing the container and. measuring .chamher in another position,

' of the filling machine; said section being taken a series ofcontainers of the general type re-- ferred to successively while 'intransit, and in time relationship with the filling mechanism.

As one feature of the present invention, the

filling apparatus has a conveyor mechanism for the containers, and isprovided with a delivery spout adapted to enter between the walls of thecontainers, and the sealing apparatus has a pair walls of the containersupon the removal oi said on line 8-8 of Fig. 7,

'Fig. 9 is a sectional detail taken. on line 9 of Fig. 4, f

-Flg. 10 is a top plan view of the sealing means shown at the upper sideof Fig. 3, but on a larger scale,

Figs. 11 and -12 are sections taken on lines llll and |2-l2 respectivelyof Fig. 10,

Fig. 13 is a detail similar to a portion of Fig. 12, but on a largerscale showing the sealing parts, and

-Fig'. 4 is a top plan view of the container and shown in section.

' of members for pressing and sealing together the In the. constructionof the filling apparatus illustrated. there is a base Ill provided withFig. 5 is a detail showing the position ofthe means whereby it may beadjustabiy tilted to a limited extent in respect to the horizontal, as

shown in my Patent No. 2,169,573.

The base I serves to rotatably support the main frame of the machine,which includes a base frame member 20, an annular series of upwardlyextending rods 2|, and an upper supply annular ca'm flange 3| mounted onthe base 20,

and provided with a peripheral cam groove 32, in which travel rollers 33secured to rods 34 verticallyslidable in suitable bearings or guides 35in the frame member 20.

The supply tank 22 is mounted on an upper frame member a which, in turn,is supported from and rigidly secured to the lower frame member 20 bythe vertical rods 2|. The tank is of light sheet metal and carries aseries of depending measuring chambers 35, each of which is open at itsupper end intothe supply tank. The liquid level within the supply tankis such that due to the inclination of the axis 25, the measuringchambers will have their upper ends below the liquid level during apart-of their path of movement around the axis, and will have theirupper ends above said liquid level at another portion of the path ofmovement. Thus during the rotation, each measuring chamber will passbeneath the liquid, so that it will be filled and will then pass abovethe liquid level.

-Any suitable means may be employed for maintaining this liquid level.As shown, the tank 22 is provided with a cover 31, and throug the centerof th latter extends a delivery pi e 38 having a float controlled valve39 at the lower end thereof. The pipe is preferably held. againstrotation, so that the float 40 will remain on the downwardly inclinedside of the center of rotation.

If it is desired to employ gas pressure for facilitating the rapiddelivery of the liquid from the measuring chambers, the tank 22; may begas tight. As shown, the pipe 38 has packing gaskets 4| engaging theupper and lower surfaces of the cover 31. to form a substantially gastight seal, and the upper end of the pipe 38 is provided with a gassupply pipe 42 communicating with a passage 43 leading to the interiorof the tank.

The pipe may be held against rotation not only by the pipe 42, but bythe liquid supply pipe 44 connected to and extending at right anglesfrom the upper end of the pipe 38. Additional means may be employed forpreventing rotation if desired, and the packing gaskets 4| may beadjusted by a collar 45 threaded on the portion of the pipe 38 above thecover. The peripheral edge of the cover may be sealedto the peripheralwall of the tank by a suitable gasket 46.

Preferably the measuring chambers 'are substantially conical with theirlargest end upperthe measuring chamber, asimple form of valve I is aconical plug 41, vertically movable within the measuring chamber, andadapted to fit in a valve seat or in the lower end of the conicalchamber. Such a valve plug may be connected to a rod extending up intothe tank 22 above the liquid level therein, and thence down through aguide tube 49 and the bottom of the tank.

The rod 43 may beheld in a central position in thechamber by a crossguide 48a extending at right angles to the plane of the rod and guide49. A separate cam operated rod 34 is provided for each measuringchamber, and upon the upper end of each rod there is provided a sleeve53 with aproiection 5|, which may be moved into or out of alignment withthe end of the valve rod 48, so that when the rod is lifted, theprojection 5| will engage the valve 'rod and lift thevalve from itsseat, so that the liquid may discharge through the lower end of thechamber, which by reason of the conical form constitutes a deliveryspout or nozzle 52. Each of the vertically movable rods 34 serves notonly for opening the valve, but also for supporting the con- Y tainer tobe filled.

A container, which may be; filled and. sealed in my improved apparatus,includes a carton A-having an inner lining of flexible slightlystretchable impervious sheet material B, which latter is so designed asto form a flap which may extend upwardly with two closely juxtaposedparallel walls. C and D. The container may be filled by separating thesetwo flaps and extending the nozzle end .52 between the two walls of theflap as shown particularly in Figs. 1 and 2. When the predeterminedamount of liquid has been delivered into the container and the latterremoved from the filling nozzle 52, the two wallsof the flap will cometogether and may be folded down and retained in folded position by thecover flap E of the carton.

Each valve operating and-receptacle carrying rod 34 is provided with asupport 53 for the container, one or more side clamps or guides 54 andan opposed cam or guide 55. The guide 55 is connected to the sleevewhich carries the valve operating member 5|. In placing the containerinto position to be filled, the filling opening of the container istelescoped onto the nozzle 52, and

the clamp 55 is moved to one side and the container held between theclamps 54 and 55, and preferably spaced above the support 53 as shown inFig. 5.

During the rotation of the apparatus, the cam groove at the proper timeraises the rod -34 until thesupport 53 contacts with the bottom of thecontainer and the valve operating member 5| raises the valve. Eachcontainer support 53 is provided with a collar 55, which is slidableupon the rod 34, and is normally held in an upper limiting position by acoil spring 51, the lower end of which bears against the upper surfaceof a collar 51a, which is fixed to shafts 34 by a pin or set screw..After the container support 53 has engaged the bottom of the container,and has moved it upwardly to the position shown in Fig. 1 where theupper rim of the nozzle is snugly vsocketed within the containeropening, the 'fur- H ther upward movement, of the rod will result inmost. This shape also facilitates the rapid discharge of theliquid fromthe measuring chamher, when the valve at the low r end of the chamberis. opened.

For controlling the dlSOharg of the liquid from compression of thespring,,so-that there will be no breaking, jamming or distortion of theconainer. I l

\ The 'sleeve 50 is rotatable to a limited extent on the upper end ofthe rod and is normally held in a predetermined position by a torsioning them together.

spring 58. If there is no container in place between the clamps i4 and55 then the spring 58 will hold the sleeve 50- in such position that thevalve operating member 5| is out of alignment with the valve rod 48 andthe valve is not opened during the upward movement of the rod 34. Theplacing of a container between the clamps 54 and 55 automaticallyrotates the sleeve 50 to such 59 slidable along the opposite juxtaposedrods 2| as shown particularlyin Fig. 4.

Although thecontainers are preferably placed in position by hand it willbe evident that means might be, provided for automatically deliveringthem to the rotating apparatus as each measuring chamber reaches apredetermined position in its path of movement. The filling apparatusabove described involves important teatures claimed in my Patent No.2,169,573. The present invention relates to the parts 0! the apparatusfor separatingthe flaps ior filling, and then seal- In the presentinvention, means are provided for removing the containers from theapparatus after they have been filled. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 6,the container support for each filled container is lowered when thecontainer reaches a predetermined position in the path of movement, andthe valve'closed. Due to the weight of the filled container, it willmove downward with the container support and out of enga ement with thedelivery spout. Just ber yond this'point in the path 01' movement, there1, is provided a curved channel shaped guide 80 into which thecontainers enter, and along which 7 they are moved to a limited extentby the clamp member 54 until they are disengaged from the latter due tothe reverse curvature of the guide 60 and the path of movement of thecontainer support. As the containers are disengagedfrom the containersupport, they are moved along the channel shaped guide 60 by suitableendless cona length and height approximately that of the flap to besealed, and properly positioned in respect to the fingers 62 that theycontact the outer surface of the outer wall D of the flap as thecontainer is being carried along by the wheel. At one point in the pathof travel of the container is a member for engaging the surface of theother wall C, and pressing the walls together against the heated member11. This is prefere ably in" the form or a roller 12, which may becarried by an arm 13 joumaled on the upper end of the shaft 61, andnormally locked in proper gosition by a nut 14 on a stationary bolt 15carried by the bracket 68, and extending through an arcuate slot 16 inthe end 0! the arm 18. The roller 12 is not secured directly to the arm13, but is mounted in a bracket or extension 11 movable endwise of thearm and pulled toward an inner limiting position by aspring 18. Thus aseach container is carried 'al'ong'with the wall D of the flap in contactwith the heated member 11, the flap when it reaches the roller 12 hasits two walls pressed together and pressed against the heater by theroller and spring, and the two valls are sealed together to hermeticallyseal the "container. The outer layer 0! each wall is not softened ormelted by the heat and pressure, but the heat and pressure. aretransmitted through the outer layers to soften and seal the irmer layerstogether and to the outer layers. The outer layers protect the innerlayers from direct contact with the pressing and sealing. members.

veying means, such for instance as a wheel 6! having fingers 82projecting into and movable along the guide 60. 'Thereciprocating slideof the container support litmay have a pair of;

recesses 63 and 84 into which the bars 65. and 6t forming the outer wallof the delivery guide may enter, so as to insure the proper positioningof the container in the guide before the container leaves its supportand clamping means.

The wheel 6 naled in a bracket 88 carried by the wall 26 of the gearcasing. Thelower end of the shaft carries a gear 69 meshing withthe-main gear 2 9. As the container is lowered and removed from thenozzle, its walls come together. in parallel positions asshown in Fig.14 withthe flap remaining in an upstanding or substantially verticalposition and approximately in the plane of is mounted on a-shaft 61Jourthe outer side walls of the container. The flap has two juxtaposedwalls or plies C and D. which are laminated, the inner am of each beingof.

a heat sealing material, such as Pliofllm, and

the outer layer of each being of paper or thelike.

For sealing these walls of vided with a disc or head 10 having heatedshoes, platens, plates, or contact members 11, each of the flap or pleat7 together, the shait'61 above the wheel in is prodischarged at thepoint D. u

The container shown permits the filling to Any suitable means may beemployed for heating the contact members 1| As shown, they are carriedby but insulated from the disc 10, and each contains an electric heatingelement. The

heating elements have their terminals connected Y to two collector..rings 19, which engage.

brushes iii, 82 connected to the source of electric current.

The cam groove 32 is of such shapeas to effect the opening and closingof the valves at the proper points in the path of movement. The valvesshould close before the measuring cham-' ber moves beneath the liquidlevel in the tank 22, and should open after the measuring chamber movesabove said liquid level. The cam may be so formed as to close the'valvewith a dropping and slight jarring or even slight jamming action toinsure tight closing and shaking off of the liquid in the nozzle belowthe valve. This eliminates the necessity for any dripping period in thecycle. Dripping might be prevented by a small teat or extension on thevalve and loosely fitting the lower end of the nozzle to retain theliquid by capillary action. The empty containers are brought intoposition and the filled ones are delivcred from the apparatus in' thepart of the I path of. movement in which the measuring cham- 'bers havetheir upper ends beneath the liquid level in the supply tank. V

As an indication of the sequence'of operations effected by means of thecam, there. is shown in Fig. 4 a line a indicating the maximum liquidlevel in the supply container. The empty containers are b ought intoposition, while a'measuring chamber moves through the are represented bythe line b-'-c, and are raised while in the are 0-0. The valve opens inthe arc c-d, and the containers are filledin the arc;de. The valve 1 isclosed-in the arc e--f, and the filled containers are lowered in thefirst part of the arc 1-1 and and sealing the walls together.

reduce the head space necessary in the container for settling foam whichwould be produced by a relatively rapid filling rate. As it reducesfoaming, it permits more immediate hermetic sealing.

The particular machine above described is fierely one embodiment of myinvention, and anyoi the details thereof may be modified withincomparatively wide limits without departing from the scope of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. A filling apparatus for containers having an inlet opening formed ofa pair of flexible juxtaadapted to be directly sealed together, saidfilling -posed normally substantially parallel walls 2,207,8eo I pair ofnormally substantially parallel walls, in-

cluding a platen member, means for moving a container and said platenmember together with its walls against said platen member, and apressure member in the pathoi movement of said walls for pressing saidwalls against said platen member, as said container and said platenmember reach a position opposite saidpress'ure member'one of saidmembers being heated.

6. A sealing apparatus for containers, of the type in which the fillingopening'is formed of a pair of normally substantially parallel walls,in-

apparatus being of the type including a conveyor frame having asupply'chamber, speak for delivering liquid tothe container, and adaptedto enter. between said walls and spread them apart, the combination ofaconveyer for removing said containers from said frame and having aheating element, and a pressure element, said elements being relativelymovable toward and from each other and engaging opposite surfaces ofsaid wallsas they, pass therebetween after the withdrawal of saidnozzle, ior pressing and sealing said walls together while the containeris being.advanced by said conveyor.

'2. A filling machine for containers-having a pair of flexiblejuxtaposed normally substantially parallel walls adapted to be separatedto form an inlet opening, said filling machine 'being 01' the typehaving a nozzle adapted to deliver liquid between said walls to saidcontainer, the combination of a rotatable carrier having a heatingelement coaxial therewith for engaging with one of said walls, and aroller having a normally stationary axis for pressing the-walls together.against. said heating element during the movement of the container onsaid carrier.

3. An apparatus for sealing containers of the type in which the fillingopening is formed of a pair of normally substantially parallel walls,said sealing apparatus including a rotatable member for carrying saidcontainers, and providedwith a heating element coaxial therewith forengaging with one of said walls, a roller in the path of said apparatusincluding a conveyer having a series of spaced container supports,aflsealing apparatus including a conveyer having a series of spacedplaten members, means for driving said conveyers in time relationship tobring said sup-' ports successively into registry with said platenmembers, means for transferring thevfilled conpressing tainerssuccessively-from said supports to said I second conveyor, and maposition to bring the walls tobe sealed into lapping relationship withthe successive platen members, and means along the path of movementoisaid series of platen meinbers for pressing the walls of the containersber to seal said walls together. r

5. A sealing apparatus for containers, of the cluding a platen member,means for moving said platen member, means for moving the container inunison with said member, with said container walls against said member,and a pressure roller member in the path of movement of said walls forpressing said walls against said platen member, as said container andsaid platen member reach a position opposite said pressure member, oneof said members being heated. I 7. A sealing apparatus for containers,ofthe type in which the filling opening is formed of a pair of normallysubstantially parallel walls, including a heated platen member, meansfor moving said platen member, means for moving a container with saidplaten member with said container walls against said platen, anda.yieldably mounted pressure roller in the path of move ment of saidwalls, for yieldably pressing said walls against said platen member assaid container and said platen member reach a position opposite saidpressure member;

3. A sealing apparatus for containers oi the type in which the fillingopening is formed of a pair of normally substantially parallel walls,including an endless conveyer, a plurality of spaced platens on saidconveyer, for moving the cona pressure roller fixed against substantialmovement in the direction of movement of the platens,

and adapted to press against said platens as they successively pass saidroller.

9. A sealing apparatus for containers of the type in which the fillingopening is formed oi a pair of normally substantially parallel walls,in-

against body rotation with respect to said rotary conveyer, but mountedfor yieldable movement in a radial direction with respect to saidconveyer, said pressure roller being adapted to press against saidplatens as said platens successively v pass said roller.

- in which. the filling opening is formed of a 10. An apparatus forsealing the mouth of a filled flexible-walled container, including aplaten 11. An apparatus for sealing the mouth of a I filledflexible-walled container, including a platen member, means for movingsaid platen member,

means for moving the filled container transversely in unison with saidplaten member vwith said mouth against said member, and a pressureplaten ember as said platen member reaches a membeil'ziior pressing saidmouth against said position pposite said pressure member, one of saidmembers being heated, and one of said memhere being yieldably mountedina direction transversely of the plane of the mouth in sealing position.

12. An apparatus for sealing the mouth of filled flexible-walledcontainers, including a conveyor for carrying said containerstransversely in upright position, and provided with a platen member forengaging one side of said mouth, a roller member in the path of movementof the other side of said mouth, one of said members being heated, andmeans for yieldably pressing said members relatively towards each otherfor pressing and sealing the opposite'container walls of said mouthtogether.

13. An apparatus for sealing the mouth of filled'fiexible-walledcontainers, including a conveyer' for carrying said containerstransversely in upright position, and provided with a series of platenmembers each for engaging one side of the mouth of a container, apressure member in the path of movement of the other side of said mouth,and means yieldably pressing said members relatively towards each otherfor sealing the opposite walls of said mouth together.

14. An apparatus for sealing the mouth of a filled flexible-walledcontainer, including a rotatable member having supports for a series ofsaid containers and a corresponding series of platen members, means forfeeding said containers to said rotatable member at one point and apressure member at another point in the path of movement of saidcontainers for pressing together the walls of each container insuccession, and pressing them against the registering platen member assaid walls pass beneath said pressure member.

15. An apparatus for sealing the mouth of a filled flexible-walledcontainer, including a rotatable member having supports for a series ofsaid containers and a corresponding series of heated platen members,means for feeding said containers to said rotatablemember at one pointand a pressure member at another point in the pathof movement of saidcontainers for pressing together the walls of each container insuccesslon, and pressing them against the registering platen member assaid walls pass beneath said pressure member.

16. An apparatus for sealing the mouth of a filled flexible-walledcontainer having substantially parallel mouth forming walls, includingmeans for moving a series of said containers along a predetermined path,a series of platen members movable alonga substantially parallel path,each platen member being adjacent to one surface of said walls, and apressure member for pressing the walls of said mouth together and typein which the filled flexible-walled container having substantiallyparallel mouth forming walls, including means for moving a series ofsaid containers along a predetermined-path, a series of platen membersmovable along a substantially parallel path, each platen member beingadjacent to one surface of said walls, and a rotatable pressure memberfor pressing the walls of said mouth together and against thecorresponding platen member as said walls pass beneath said pressuremember;

18. An apparatus for sealing the mouth of a filled flexible-walledcontainerhaving substantially parallel walls defining said mouth,including a traveling platen member, means for supporting the filledcontainers and causing them to travel with the platen member with saidwalls adjacentto said platen member, and a pressure member having astationary mounting and positioned to press said walls together andagainst said platen member along a line spaced below the them to travelwith the platen member with said walls adjacent to said platen member,and a rotatable pressure member having a stationary mounting andpositioned to press said walls together and against said platen. memberalong a line spaced below the tree edges of said walls.

20. An apparatus for filling containers of the filling opening is formedof a pair of normally substantially parallel walls, said apparatusincluding an endless series of spaced container supports, a sealingapparatus includ-' ing a platen member for engaging the surface of oneof said walls and a pressure member cooperating therewithfor engagingthe suriace or the other said walhmeans for heating one of said members,an endlessconveyor, one of said members being carried on said endlessconveyor,-

and means including a finger on said endless conveyor for removingcontainers from said supports and operatively positioning the containersrelative to the sealing member on said conveyor, said finger beingpositioned and arranged to .move the containers with the conveyor. andbring their said walls between said members for sealing operations.

CLARENCE W. YOGT.

heated platenv member, means for supporting the filled containers andcausing

